Cruising for Rafa, bruising for Novak
BACK on clay and back in business, Rafael Nadal made short work of Aljaz Bedene in his first tour match since January. The Spaniard has been laid up since the Australian Open with a hip injury but he began his bid to win an 11th Monte Carlo title with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in 79 minutes. Former British player Bedene — who switched allegiance back to Slovenia last December — never looked like troubling the king of clay, despite a late flourish when he saved three match points. Nadal will play big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in the third round and then could face old rival Novak Djokovic, who had a far less straightforward passage to the last 16 yesterday. The Serb, embarking on his own comeback from injury, required two hours and 10 match points to beat promising Croat Borna Coric 7-6, 7-5. The former world No 1 has been plagued by elbow issues and he said after the match: ‘After two years finally I can play without pain. Under the circumstances, considering I haven’t played too many official matches, I thought I played well.’ Next up for the 30-year-old is a clash with Dominic Thiem that will be a serious test of his form and fitness. The Austrian is a formidable clay-courter who thrashed Djokovic at last year’s French Open. ‘He is one of the best players in the world,’ Djokovic said of Thiem. ‘Probably in the top three on this surface.’